NEIGHBOURS living in the area of Guildford where a 14-year-old girl was raped have criticised police for leaving them in the dark.

Some parents have complained over Surrey Police failing to sufficiently alert them about the assault, saying they were sending their children off to school without realising that a sex attacker remained at large.

Police only put up e-fit appeal posters on Thursday (September 23), a week after the victim was raped just off London Road in Burpham.

A resident said that her nearby newsagents had not heard about the incident until Tuesday, five days after it happened, with others complaining that the police had been very tight-lipped about what had happened.

“It was very hard to know what was true, whether my child was in potential danger, which she obviously has been in,” one mother said.

She added that she had heard rumours over the past year of a skinny young man prowling around Burpham, peeping in windows and snatching at two other young women.

“What I fear is there is an offender who is getting increasingly more violent,” the woman said.

An e-fit has been released of a man police want to speak to in connection with the rape.

He was described as white with a tanned complexion, aged in his early 20s, with short and scruffy brown hair and stubble on his chin.

Major investigation

The victim was attacked at about 4pm on Thursday, September 16 in a small wooded area beside the A3100 London Road, between the junctions with Abbotswood and Weylea Avenue.

Officers revisited the site a week later, speaking to local people and passers-by, handing out leaflets and also putting up appeal posters.

Responding to the complaints about a lack of public information, a Surrey Police statement said: “A large team including senior detectives is working on this major investigation and a number of lines of enquiry are being followed up.

“The investigation team has been visiting homes close to the scene and local shops have been visited to obtain any CCTV evidence. The area for house-to-house enquiries is now being extended.

“Head teachers of local schools and the Local Education Authority have been kept informed and given safety advice.

“They have been informing their pupils, and how much and what they say varies according to the ages of the children involved. Parents have been contacted by parent mail or an equivalent system.

“Other parts of the community, such as local councillors and Neighbourhood Watch representatives, have been kept informed, and members of the Active Citizen Scheme have received information.

“A number of media releases have been provided which have received wide coverage, and five broadcast interviews have been given to local broadcast media, and information put out over Twitter to ensure widest possible coverage.

“Posters can only be put up when the information being publicised can be confirmed – the posters are now up.

“Obtaining evidence from a 14-year-old victim of a traumatic attack is not something that can be rushed and has to be dealt with sensitively.

“We continue to appeal for information from the public directly. Contact Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Facebook speculation

Schools in Burpham such as George Abbot and St Peter’s have both held assemblies warning pupils about the attack, and advising them on precautions such as never walking anywhere alone, avoiding isolated, poorly lit areas, and not listening to personal music players that could distract them.

St Peter’s issued a letter to parents, which said: “The police are very anxious to stem speculation about this incident, as it could severely impair their investigations and is also causing widespread panic amongst parents and students alike.

“Much of this speculation is occurring on Facebook and other social network sites. Please check that your son/daughter is not engaging in this activity.”

George Abbot head teacher Danny Maloney said: “Hopefully they will catch someone pretty soon. It was right at the end of the road, very close to the school.

“Certainly in my 11 years of being here, this is the first incident like this. They are very rare, thank God. This was so out of the blue, in a public place, at 4pm."

Sonja Freebody, management co-ordinator for the Rape And Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) in Guildford, said: “There may be other people out there that he has attacked but they haven’t reported it.

“They can call or visit us and get help, give forensic evidence, and we have case workers, police and counsellors here.

“All our thoughts are with the young girl who has been attacked,” she added.